s | b | a CHICAGO-KENT STUDENT BAR ASSOCIATION

**check out our SBA Instagram this week for your chance to win ONE of THREE $5.00 Starbucks gift cards!

Announcements

Graduation Regalia – We know that due to the pandemic graduation looks a little different this year. The SBA wanted to make sure that the cost of regalia was low so that graduates felt like they were able to still participate – no matter how they choose to celebrate! We heavily subsidized the gown and hood, so that the total fee (including tax) is $15.20. Additionally, the school is offering the graduation tam and tassel at no cost. We hope that this lessened cost will allow graduates the opportunity to celebrate and take pictures with loved ones in their regalia! Please be sure to order your regalia by April 16 or else it may not arrive by the virtual graduation ceremony. Additionally, if you plan on participating in the mini ceremonies, please order ASAP as the regalia takes two weeks to ship. https://kentlaw.shopoakhalli.com/.

The Student Bar Association seeks nominations for the SBA Awards and the Bar & Gavel Society. These awards are intended to recognize and celebrate the outstanding work and dedication to our law school.

• The SBA Awards include the following awards:

  • Staff Member of the Year

  • Adjunct Professor of the Year

  • Professor of the Year

  • Alumna/Alumnus of the Year

  • Ralph Brill Award

    • This award may only be given to a staff member, faculty member or alumnus/alumna who has either: (a) been employed by Chicago-Kent for the last 10 years; OR (b) Graduated at least 10 years before the award is given and has shown exemplary service and accomplishments

  • Student Organization of the Year

• Bar & Gavel Society

  • The Bar & Gavel Society is a prestigious society composed of graduating students (3Ls/4Ls) who have demonstrated leadership and service to the law school. These students do not have to be members of SBA. Up to 12 of the nominees will be admitted. Past recipients have distinguished themselves through outstanding service to the law school, peers, legal profession and community around them.

• How to Nominate!

  • All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to submit nominations! Know someone who deserves to be recognized through the SBA Awards or Bar & Gavel Society? Please submit your nominations to Dylan Sacenti at dsacenti with the subject line “Nomination for SBA Awards.”

  • All nominations MUST:

    • State the reasons for the nomination

    • Not exceed 250 words

    • May include a resume (but not required)

    • (4) Are DUE Friday, April 9th at 5:00 pm

  • We look forward to receiving your nominations!

C-K Law Group: Work on real client cases under the supervision of an attorney and get law school credit! C-K Law group is now accepting applications for the summer 2021 semester. The due date for applications is Monday, April 5 at 10:00 a.m. For more information and to submit an application, visit our webpage: https://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/academics/jd-program/practical-skills-training/legal-clinics

Certificate Programs: Students who wish to refine their focus can consider earning a certificate in that area. In addition to many of the other find programs, applications are now available for the below and the due date is Wednesday, March 31 at 5:00 p.m.

• Litigation and Dispute Resolution (LADR): https://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/academics/jd-program/certificate-programs/litigation-and-alternative-dispute-resolution

• Criminal Litigation: https://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/academics/jd-program/certificate-programs/criminal-litigation

• Workplace LADR:

https://www.kentlaw.iit.edu/academics/jd-program/certificate-programs/workplace-litigation-and-alternative-dispute-resolution

Fall 2021 Legal Externship Program Opportunity – For Credit Only (4 Credits) – Seyfarth Shaw, LLP. For 2L & 3L applicants:

• As part of Chicago-Kent’s Fall 2021 Legal Externship Program, Seyfarth Shaw, LLP, will select a Chicago-Kent student extern. The extern essentially becomes a member of the firm’s IP group for a semester, performing legal research and writing in copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, advertising, privacy, Internet, and other related IP issues. The position is not limited to people with technical backgrounds.

• The selected extern will receive 4 (Pass/Fail) credit hours and must devote 16 hours a week to fieldwork, which will be performed primarily, if not completely, remotely depending on the circumstances. There will also be an accompanying non-graded classroom component on designated Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m. This is a great externship opportunity!

• To Apply: Prospective 2Ls and 3Ls must have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.2. Please submit your resume and unofficial transcript to Suzanne Blaz (sblaz) by Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at 12:00 p.m. Do not apply directly to the law firm. If you have any questions, contact Prof. Gross (vgross@kentlaw.edu).

Law Student Volunteers Needed! The Annual Illinois Youth Summit for high school students will take place on May 14, 2021. This year, the summit topic will be “What does defund the police really mean?” If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Dee Runaas at drunaas.

Events for This Week

Events may be found on the SBA calendar. Please make sure you are accessing via your Kent email address.

Monday, March 29

• 5:00 p.m.: Please join the Land Use and Real Estate Society for an alumni happy hour! On March 29th at 5 PM, alumni from throughout the real estate industry will be attending a virtual happy hour. This will be a great opportunity to network with current attorneys and other students interested in real estate & land use law. lure.

Tuesday, March 30

• 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Remote Lawyering – Roundtable discussion: On Tuesday, March 30, 2021 from 12:00 – 1:00, join our C-K Law Group attorneys as they address the unique challenges presented by “remote” lawyering. Litigating has, for many attorneys, been both problematic and yet also extraordinarily rewarding. We have scheduled an on-line roundtable discussion to share our insights and experiences with you, and to invite your comments and questions.

  • Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/fe5geiK5GtTvsoct5

  • You will receive a link on or before the morning of the discussion.

Thursday, April 1

• 5:00 p.m. Trial Team Info Session: Interested in learning more about Chicago-Kent’s nationally-ranked Trial Team and Trial Advocacy Program? Want help preparing for the tryout process? Want to speak to current students on the team? Join the Chicago-Kent Trial Team for an information session on Thursday, April 1 at 5:00pm zappler with any questions.

• 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.: ULA Latinx Outreach Event (Part 1): Join as Latinx and Hispanic labor leaders discuss the crucial role Latinx and Hispanic workers have played in the American labor movement and their own experiences as workers and leaders, cast through the lens of their ethnic identities.

  • The second part of the series will be on April 8, 2021 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The speakers will be labor lawyers who identify as Latinx and/or Hispanic. They will describe their respective journeys into the field, the significance of their ethnic identity to the work, and how law students who wish to pursue social justice careers might find a place in the labor movement.

Friday, April 2

• 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.: SBA Open Door At 4 pm every Friday through April 30, SBA has committed to launching an unrecorded SBA Zoom session to lend an ear to students who wish to hang out, vent, problem solve, mingle, ask questions – whatever our peers might need to feel heard. Students and faculty are encouraged to swing by. The link is in the SBA Calendar!!

Deadlines for this Week

Certificate Programs applications are due Wednesday, March 31 at 5:00 p.m. (See Announcements for more details)

Writing Competitions

(we have so many that we now have a heading!)

Interested in submitting a paper to a competition? The law library has created a guide to student legal writing competitions. For more information, please see the library blog post about the guide.

The Black Law Students Association and the Student Bar Association are pleased to announce the Nickolas Johnson Writing Competition. In 2018, we lost a fellow classmate and BLSA member. This writing prize in Nickolas Johnson’s memory is to encourage students to tackle issues of mental health on campus and propose an idea to be implemented by BLSA and SBA for the upcoming school year. Click here for the application. Students can download the application by clicking on the documents in the guide, or find it attached to this newsletter.. The competition funding is donation based, and if you would like to donate, there is information provided below on how to do so. The hope is to raise $1,000 each year, which will allow the student who wins to be awarded $500, with the other $500 going to implementing the student’s proposal. The writing prize will take place from March 1 to April 19. A panel of judges will read the proposals from April 19 to May 10 and announce the winner on the May 10.

If you would like to donate to the Nickolas Johnson Writing Competition, please go to arogers11.

Future Events

Tuesday, April 6

• 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.: Bar Performance Test Basics – this program will be recorded and posted to the bar support web page. View the information and links to review sessions here. You may contact Professor Kari Johnson with questions.

• 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.: Bankruptcy, Insolvency & Restructuring Association General Body Meeting. Please join us to learn about Chicago-Kent’s bankruptcy club, opportunities in bankruptcy law at Chicago-Kent and hear from candidates for our Executive Committee elections. Email BIRA to receive Zoom meeting details. All are welcome.

Wednesday, April 7

• 5:30 pm: Join Chicago-Kent Environmental Law Society for a virtual panel discussion on Wednesday, April 7 at 5:30 p.m. featuring environmental and energy attorneys from the non-profit, private and public sectors.The panelists will share valuable insights about their careers and how to forge a successful career path after law school. Following the full panel discussion, attendees are invited to join separate Zoom rooms for small group conversations with individual panelists. You *must* RSVP on Eventbrite to reserve a spot in small group discussions

Final ELS Flyer (04_07).pdf
TRIAL TEAM.pdf
_NELA_Seventh_Circuit_Conference_Agenda.pdf